EIGHTIES TWIN TEST
Keith borrows Audi’s own 80 CD so he can compare it to his CL. Dream time…
1982 AUDI 80 CL
may have mentioned once or twice (!) that I have a bit of a soft spot for five-cylinder Audis. Put it down to positive experiences in my formative driving years – or maybe the power of Audi’s advertising when I was at my most suggestible.
Whatever the reason, this predilection for cars with an odd number of pots in them has always left me feeling a tinge of disappointment whenever I drive my own Audi 80.
I ran two Audi 80s in succession back in the 1990s –
IOWNED SINCE
September 2019
MILEAGE SINCE LAST REPORT TOTAL MILEAGE LATEST COSTS
Nil
the first was a 1982 80 CD, which I talked about in my All The Cars I Ever Bought column in the 10 June issue, and the next was a 1985 80 CL. The CD was baggy and a bit knackered, but I absolutely loved everything about it – especially its five-cylinder engine. The CL that replaced it was a tidy, low-mileage example that looked great on the driveway, but was a bit weak in the engine department. And for most of the time I had it, I kept sticking CD bits on it trying to recreate the past.
Fast forward 30 years and we’re here again. I have a perfectly presentable Audi 80 CL that has delusions of CD grandeur thanks to various extras fitted to it.
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Wednesday 21 October 2020
After all those years, I’m still convinced that I’m missing that extra cylinder, even though my car is perfectly lovely to drive. I really should be happy with what I have.
To help me on my journey of discovery, the lovely people at Audi UK lent me their heritage fleet 1982 80 CD. It’s the perfect benchmark for how mine should be because it’s been maintained to within an inch of its life. It’s indecently shiny and in mechanically tip-top, too.
My first impressions of the CD are that it doesn’t feel that much faster than my car, but the power-assisted steering makes it slightly easier to drive. It’s surprisingly peaky, so you need at least 3500rpm to find any meaningful performance. This is disappointing considering its power and relatively light weight, but it rewards me time and time again with the wonderfully addictive offbeat thrum that you only get with a five-cylinder engine when I do go looking for that performance.
Then there’s the ride, which is smooth and comfortable – a revelation compared with mine, which is rather stiffer on its aftermarket springs. And yet mine goes around corners better, rolls less and has less understeer and more steering feel. The CD strikes back by being quieter at speed; it has less engine noise and fewer cabin rattles (and mine’s pretty good on that score).
Other differences include the factory-fit electric windows and central locking, which mine does without. For now. Although mine does have a (retro-fitted) coolant temperature gauge that the CD lacks. Beyond that, it comes down to cosmetic differences – the CD’s additional chrome, blackedout door frames and proper side rubbing strips somehow make it look more ‘executive’ than my CL.
The CD is the one to have in many ways; it’s lovely to drive, has an enjoyable soundtrack, looks sharp and is the perfect B2 for me this side of a 90 Quattro. Would I have one? In a heartbeat. Does it make me dissatisfied with mine? Not as much as I thought it would. In fact, mine will be absolutely fine until the right CD comes along.
But it’s all academic because Audi isn’t selling this one and they only come up for sale once in a blue moon. Time to just enjoy my CL and get it in tip-top condition to enjoy what I hope will be a much more normal 2021 classic car season.
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